Posts navigation

A completely solar-powered lodge in the heart of Jordan’s largest nature reserve, Feynan Ecolodge’s commitment to improving the socio-economic status of the local community is notable, with economic initiatives and employment of local people directly benefitting more than 90 families in the immediate region.Located in the southwestern edge of the Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan, Feynan Ecolodge is a small, 26-room environmentally friendly lodge committed to existing in harmony with the local environment. The lodge is completely solar-powered and is not even connected to the local electricity grid. Heating is provided through the burning of waste from local olive-pressing initiatives, a natural byproduct of the annual olive harvest, therefore acting to preserve Jordan’s trees. Water is sourced from local springs and is offered to guests in locally produced clay jars to eliminate the use of plastic disposable bottles. Waste from the lodge is either composted or recycled.

Feynan Ecolodge has a strong relationship to the local community and part of its mission is to contribute to the social-economic development of the local people. The ecolodge directly benefits more than 90 families from the local community (approximately 450 people) through a range of initiatives. These include employing all of its staff from the local communities surrounding the Dana Biosphere Reserve, supporting candle-making and leather workshops on site (the products of which are used to light and furnish the lodge), giving local women economic opportunities, as well as sourcing local services to give guests an authentic experience of the surrounding area. Guests are invited to learn about the surrounding environment and Bedouin traditions with options to spend a day with a local shepherd, cook traditional Arabic dishes with the chef, explore the nearby 11,000-year-old ruins or take a late night stargazing expedition for some of the best celestial views in Jordan.